How cold have you seen it before?

[mtcates]

This photo was taken of me at -52 degrees fahrenheit. Photo was taken February 5th 1999 in North Pole Alaska about 10 miles out of Fairbanks. Its me tossing up a mug of hot water. The water turns to steam instantly and the steam particles instantly freeze in the air. The cloud of ice fog just drifts off and slowly evaporates.

The next morning was -62 degrees. I tried to take a photo of the thermometer at -62 but the flash made it wash out. You'll just have to take my word for the -62. At -62 you could hear the water vapor in your breath crackle as it froze instantly on exhale. It was painfully cold to the face. The very next morning was a relatively warm -35. Let me tell you that -35 never felt so warm.

Some people say once it gets a certain coldness that its all the same from there on, they are so wrong. Its a huge difference in -62 and -35. I stayed there to visit my friend there for a whole month. After two weeks there I finally saw the temperature get over -20. Me, I live in North Carolina. When its that cold my friend will use about 400 gallons of fuel oil every month to heat his 2600 square foot split level house.

 

[North of 60]

It is an experience isn't it, and yes after that -30 will feel warm for sure. :coolsmile:
Cheers

 

[Frostbit]

The coldest I have seen here where I live, and its still a record, is -54 degrees in January 1980. I remember it well. We had about 10 days where it never went above -35.

The coldest temperature I have personally been in, without chill factor involved, was -61 degrees in Fairbanks in January of 1976.

I would much rather have the deep, still cold than the type we generally get out here on the coast, which involves high winds. 80 below chill factor really sucks.

 

[katwillny]

That's a great picture.

 

[Shari]

I know we have had in the -30's on occassion. I think I remember a -42 but then again my brain was probably frozen the entire time. It is interesting when you get in your truck or car and the tires are froze to the ground...

Shari

 

[vvvv]

if the piipses dont burast, ir aint thaht cooold

 

[Backwoods Savage]

-52 for me. Sometimes the really cold air will feel great for a while but it doesn't take long before it chills you to the bone. I recall the first time I was in -35 the air was real still and the sun shine was bright. It felt great but after about 10-15 minutes working in it, then it did not feel so great. It was really pretty though when we saw a rainbow....and the sky was clear.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

at pilsong range complex(Korea) in 1990 i saw it at 42 degrees below 0 F, you could pour a cup of hot coffee and walk to the door toss it out the door and it froze before it hit the ground, yeah it sucked we were in tents.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

I have seen pee, pile up. Korea.

 

[North of 60]

I have seen pee, pile up. Korea.

I havent seen that at -55f. Must of been cold, or was that the outside urinal for everyone and it was layering up?

 

[Tarmsolo60]

Great picture, -44F is the coldest I have experienced that I can remember. Your nose would freeze together when you would breathe.

 

[Bobbin]

I recall heading to the bus stop when the mercury outside the door registered -25F.

Personally, I think anything below 0 degrees F is meaningless.

It's GD cold, make sure you're dressed appropriately.

 

[ShenValSteve]

The coldest I ever remember here in the Shenandoah Valley was between 15 and 20 below Fahrenheit, either January of 85 or 86. Over in West Virginia, I've spent a couple of nights with the temp between 25 and 30 below and slept on top of the covers in a hundred year old house with a coal furnace. We will usually go down to zero to 5 below between 3 and 5 nights a year. 60 miles to our west is a different story.

 

[Dix]

-20, -45 with the windchill in Wisconsin 7 years ago when I checked out the Dix at the breeders.


They said I was crazy to go. To me, it was crazier overnighting in Philly at the airport, and then boarding at 8 AM then getting de-iced. De-icing is crazy !!

 

[North of 60]

Schools and school buses dont shut down here. We have never seen a closure yet.

 

[BrotherBart]

-15 and that was plenty for me.

 

[weatherguy]

Ive been in -35 twice up in New Hampshire went I went skiing. This was at the Hotel at the base of the mountain, not sure if it was colder at the top, maybe warmer, bottom may have been colder due to radiational cooling. Me and my wife seem to pick the coldest weekend to go up north. I had a bottle of water that froze in my car in no time, my coat made crinkly sounds when I walked. When its that cold it hurts. -5 or so is nothing compared to -35.

 

[Wallyworld]

Northern Maine has had -62 0r -63 a couple of winters ago, been minus 30 at my house before. anything below -10 is brutal

 

[mtcates]

I was in the air force and 15 years ago the Air Force canceled all flights if the temperature was -40 or colder. I think it had something to do with the hydraulic flight controls.

 

[bmwloco]

Probably not fair, but I spent 14 months at The South Pole in 2000/2001. Saw -110. Freaking cold, but anything insulates at that temp.

 

[pen]

Where I live is damn near tropical in comparison to all of this! Just unbelievable and unfathomable to me.

I've had lower on the thermometer than this, but I've camped (like in a tent) in -15 F before. You guys would prolly still be debating shorts or pants at that temp.


pen

 

[mainstation]

The last time I worked a Winter pipeline spread in 1997 the temps dipped to -56 C or -68 F for 6 days straight. It was in Geraldton, Ont. The Caterpillars ran 24/7. It was brutally cold. The diesel exhaust formed an ice fog about 10 feet above the stack.
But you know the whiskey never froze !!

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I'm not envious by any means...all great stories with the cold temps. I like where I live in Mass, kinda on the warm side of cold most of the time.
Now, How does the folks in sub zero deal with cabin fever in the days of cold? Lots of movies and trips to the stove???

 

[Shipper50]

I worked midnights on 1-26-85 and it got down to -26 with -65 wind chills and that was in Gary Indiana. I had a new ford f-150 and it was one of the few to start that morning. I had to go and break ice off the cooling tower valves so the hot strip could roll steel.

I could only stay outside for about 5 minutes at a time with the clothes I had on and I was about 1/4 mile from Lake Michigan and the wind was howling. Funny what you remember that long ago. :gulp:

Shipper

 

[North of 60]

I was in the air force and 15 years ago the Air Force canceled all flights if the temperature was -40 or colder. I think it had something to do with the hydraulic flight controls.

It gets much colder than that up in the air @ 20,000 ft right now. Hmmmmm and their still flying. Need a pilot on board here.